Three shootings should prompt tougher gun laws

Lee Rhiannon, tipped to win a NSW Senate seat for the Greens, says that if elected she will work for strengthened uniform national gun laws, following reports of three separate shootings in Sydney’s Inner West, West and the Blue Mountains yesterday.

“Gun control is akin to white collar crime in not receiving the attention the issue deserves in the nation’s criminal codes,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“Not a month goes by in NSW without new reports of lives lost by firearms. It’s time for a more effective National Firearms Agreement and tougher laws in NSW to ban semi-automatic handguns.

“The power of the gun lobby is reflected in the fact that while law and order is central to state politics around the Australia, national gun control has fallen off the reform agenda since the Port Arthur massacre.

“The big hole in the 1996 National Firearms Agreement was the failure to ban semi-automatic pistols.

“In NSW the Labor government has rolled out the red carpet to the Shooters’ Party and their bid to relax state guns laws.

“Public safety will continue to be put at risk if the major parties keep sidelining this important issue," Ms Rhiannon said.